Xavier Dolan is a year younger than
me, yet he has already made five full-length features that have gone on to win
awards at major international film festivals, including Cannes, Venice and
Toronto. I can't think of anyone else
that age who made such a splash in the filmmaking circuit in the last ten
years, and we should be privileged to have decades of great work to see from
this fearless filmmaker.

His latest, Mommy, won the Jury Prize at Cannes, tying Godard's Goodbye to Language. According to critics, it is his most mature
work to date. It is also my first window
into Dolan's world, and I'm suitably impressed.

Mommy is about a feisty
foul-mouthed mother who has to take care of his equally vulgar teenage son, who
has been released from a facility for youths with behavioural problems. It is a mother-and-son story, told with youthful
zest and intensity. The dysfunctional
'family' is interrupted one day by the next-door neighbour, a quiet, stuttering
woman who finds unexpected camaraderie with the duo.

The standout aspect of Dolan's film is
his handling of the actors. The lead
trio of Anne Dorval, Suzanne Clement, and Antoine-Olivier Pilon give tour de
force performances, bringing to life their characters and Dolan's formidable
screenplay. Emotions run high as Dolan
captures quite forcefully the angst of youth, and the ferociousness of a
mother's love. The drama is relentless,
and the film moves at a zippy pace despite its length.

The most startling thing about Mommy is that Dolan shot the film in 1:1
aspect ratio. That means you see the
film through a perfect square, with black bars at the top, bottom, left and
right side of the screen. This is almost
unheard of in cinema, and I salute Dolan's daringness in creating one of the
most unique screen experiences I had in years.

He also plays with the aspect ratio
during the film, and I shall leave you to see it with your own eyes. The technique is effective, even integral to
enhancing the drama and mood of the film, and if that isn't a bold statement of
intent by a filmmaker who has supreme confidence in his own ability, I don't
know what is.

Mommy is one of the best films
of 2014, and despite its arthouse roots, there is enough mainstream
accessibility to intrigue most moviegoers, with a killer soundtrack to
boot. This is a must-watch, and a great
way to get acquainted with Canada's youngest, and most outrageously talented
export to world cinema.

Verdict: Intense, zippy, and featuring tour de force
performances by the lead cast, this relentless drama exudes the kind of youthful
confidence that is so unique to Dolan's works.